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Obama Camp Pins Scrubbed Troop Visit on Pentagon
Obama Camp says Pentagon Tried to Limit Planned Troop Visit in Germany; Pentagon Pushes Back

Pentagon Disputes Obama Camp's Version
Gibbs explained the details of the planning of the visit, known as the tick tock, and suggested the Pentagon came to the Obama campaign late in the game, citing a regulation issue in making the case for the Obama campaign to cancel the visit.

The Obama campaign and the Pentagon are offering different versions of why Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., scrubbed his planned trip to visit U.S. troops in Germany.
(ABC News Photo Illustration)The campaign would not answer whether Obama was denied outright from visiting the base.

Gibbs said Gration had been in contact with the Pentagon for three weeks during the planning of the visit. On July 15 or 16, he said the campaign received a PPR, a "prior permission required" -- which was required to land a nonmilitary aircraft (Obama's campaign plane) at an airbase in Germany.

But on Wednesday, Gibbs said, Gration received new information from the Pentagon, saying that this visit would be viewed as a campaign stop.

He said the Pentagon said Obama could visit wounded troops from Illinois in his capacity as a senator, but that was it. Gration dealt with the legislative affairs office within the office of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates.

"He could go as a United States senator, but it was pretty clear from the guidance that we received from the Pentagon that the trip would be viewed as a campaign stop," Gibbs told reporters Friday. "Given the information that we had received, Senator Obama made the decision that we were not gonna have wounded men and women become involved in a campaign event or what would be perceived as a campaign event."

Gibbs said Obama made the final decision to cancel the visit after consulting with advisers on his Thursday flight from Tel Aviv to Berlin.

Gibbs then said either way -- if they kept the visit on their schedule or not -- it would have been criticized. "We might have gotten criticism for going, [but] we have been criticized for not going."

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However, the issue of his visit was dealt with by hospital officials and military officials in Europe familiar with Pentagon guidelines for visits to military installations by a political campaign.

Whitman said Obama is "certainly welcome to visit a military medical facility any time he wants to," as long as that visit was consistent with that of a sitting senator.

He added, "We do have certain policy guidelines for political campaigns and elections and what's appropriate and not appropriate in those situations. But, the Pentagon, to use your words, certainly did not tell the senator that he could not visit Landstuhl."


The spokesman said that because Obama is both a sitting senator and a political candidate, any visit to Landstuhl would have had to be undertaken within the restrictions that apply to both.

"When you are doing things like a visit to Landstuhl you need to do it in your sitting capacity or you have to do it within the restrictions that apply to any other candidate that might be running for office that is not a sitting senator. So you have to be able to draw those distinctions. Generally speaking the military tries very hard not to get involved in political campaigns."

According to Whitman, Senate staffers could have accompanied Obama, but not campaign staffers. "It would be appropriate to do that with your Senate staff and obviously not with your campaign staff." He added that it would be easy to differentiate the two, "either you work for the senator's staff or you work on the campaign staff, it's very different."

Any discussion of cameras or photographers accompanying Obama was "off the table," said Whitman, who stressed that because of privacy issues, no photography is allowed at Landstuhl.

Whitman noted that during his visit to Iraq, Obama visited a military medical facility, but did so under the auspices of his participation in a congressional delegation, a CODEL.

"There's a distinction that he was part of a CODEL for his visit to Iraq and Afghanistan, then he terminated his participation in the CODEL and then went off to do other things," said Whitman.

ABC News' Jake Tapper, and David Wright contributed to this report.

The senator also said he had canceled a planned trip to visit wounded members of the armed forced in Germany after officials told him a retired two-star general who is an adviser was considered campaign staff and "it would therefore be perceived as political because he had endorsed my candidacy but wasn't on the Senate staff."

"There's a distinction that he was part of a CODEL for his visit to Iraq and Afghanistan, then he terminated his participation in the CODEL and then went off to do other things," said Whitman.

We may not be getting the whole story. I read earlier that Obama was DENIED a meeting with wounded soldiers, that the orders came down from above. Even if that is not the case, the reason he gave, not trying to use them to his political advantage is a valid one and shows real integrity. As another person has pointed out...it is better than using them as props and then screw*ng them over at every turn as the Bush administration has done.

Never ever ever underestimate that the wounded Troops don't appreciate any official from visiting. They do. Been there, seen it.. It's a very simple case of actually showing the emotion and caring for the Troops... away from the limelight.

Obama should have done this, whether it meant more votes and contributions or not. But, since he's never had any kind of military experience, it's doubtful he understands the importance of such gestures, from their perspective.

Actually McCain did generate PR over those visits or you wouldn't know about them. BFD he visited them. Then he voted to jack them outta their benefits. His fellow vets! That's low.

It is accepted practice for politicians to leave the media and entourage behind when visiting wounded soldiers

What gets me about this specific topic is that McCain has made several..many..trips to where our Troops are... not only over the course of many years..

Obama has visited wounded soldiers many times. It's pretty clear he understands the importance of their sacrifice - enough that he doesn't even want the appearance of scoring political points.

What gets me about this specific topic is that McCain has made several..many..trips to where our Troops are... not only over the course of many years...but, even specifically since Iraq and visited with the Troops in all settings.... hospitals included...without any whoopie hoopie photo sessions, etc. Instead.. just to be there and talk to them.

"Bild Reporter with Obama in the Gym," was the banner headline of the Friday edition of the German tabloid Bild published the day after Obama's visit to the German capital. "While thousands waited for him at the Victory Column," wrote Judith Bonesky," I, the Bild reporter, met Barack Obama alone -- in the gym!"

The story contained a florid description of Obama's physical attributes, praising his "well-trained arms," "his tight rear view," and how he lifted the masculine 32-kilogram (70-pound) dumbbells "first 10 times with his right arm, then 10 times with his left." And then there was the culmination: "Barack put his arm around my shoulders. I held him round the waist. Wow! He isn't even sweating!" And, lastly, there was Bonesky's conclusion: "What a man!"

dont know the mans reasons for not visiting the troops in germany, might be the same reason he chose not visit them in iraq or afghanistan